Over the course of her adventures, Lunella Lafayette has met quite a few of the Marvel Universe’s most famous players. Most recently, we’ve seen her teaming up with the X-Men. As a budding super hero and child genius, this has given Moon Girl the opportunity to learn a lot about how the hero thing is done. We caught up with writer Brandon Montclare about some of the lessons these mentors (and a couple peers) have taught her.

Totally Awesome Hulk

The big, green version of Amadeus Cho introduced Lunella to the heroes of Marvel. It didn’t go well. She definitely didn’t like finding out that Hulk was the Eighth Smartest Person in the World. The “unranked” Moon Girl tried to pretend it was NBD, but recognition secretly means a lot to Lunella. So their next meeting was incredible: by testing Moon Girl with the legacy Banner B.O.X., the whole world learned that Lunella is the Smartest There Is.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2015) #4

Everyone’s favorite Marvel hero made a big impression on Moon Girl — before they even met. She saw Kamala Khan as her idol. The perfect super hero who (from Lunella’s POV) had it all. That they could become friends (albeit awkwardly) came as a big boost for Lunella.

Not known for his brains, Ben Grimm took it upon himself to educate Lunella in her worst subject: street smarts. As Moon Girl became a bigger part of the Marvel Universe, she discovered that most things you can’t learn in a book.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2015) #14

Riri Williams and Lunella Lafayette have a lot in common. And the older kid genius was the first one to give Lunella what she wanted most: respect. This played a big part in Lunella’s learning to temper her ego and establish a healthier form of self-respect.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2015) #17

The Sorcerer Supreme lives only a few blocks west of Yancy Street, but the two never met until a random coincidence brought them together. Or maybe there is no such thing as a coincidence? Dr. Strange definitely taught Lunella to expand her mind, and helped her learn to appreciate the realms of knowledge that lie beyond science and math.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2015) #17

Lunella has learned more from him than all of the other heroes of the Marvel Universe combined. Courage. Responsibility. Loyalty. Believing in others. Believing in yourself. It’s almost easier to make a list of the things Devil Dinosaur didn’t teach his partner in crime-fighting. Not too bad for a prehistoric terror in monstrously giant body, but only the tiniest T-Rex brain.